ABOUT SPACE
LET'S GO ON A SPACE ADVENTURE!
Let's
Learn
MILLION WORD GAP PROJECT
www.hope-hear.org
#HOPE-learn
The Hope-Hear Million word gap project by
Hope-Hear NPC, 2024 / 064699 / 08
is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution -
Non-Commercial 3.0 Unported License
Explaining big ideas like space, the universe, the moon, and seasons
to a small child might seem too complicated, but it is actually really
important!
Children are naturally curious. They ask "why" and "how" all the time.
By introducing concepts like the moon or the seasons, you're helping
them to learn about the world around them and satisfying their
curiosity.
Even though they might not fully understand these big ideas yet,
learning about them helps them to build a foundation for later
learning. Just like learning simple words or numbers, understanding
things like the sun or the moon helps them connect ideas together as
they grow.
Children notice things like the moon and stars in the sky. When you
talk to them about what they are able to see or explain why the moon
changes shape, it helps them make sense of their world. It turns
everyday observations into exciting discoveries!
Talking about space and the universe may spark imagination. They
might start dreaming up fun ideas about stars, planets, or space
adventures. This kind of thinking is great for developing creativity and
problem-solving skills.
Explaining the phases of the moon or how seasons change can make
nature more exciting for them. You can go outside together and look
for the moon and the stars. These experiences can be fun and help
kids connect with the natural world.
Learning is fun, reading is educational, and it helps children to start
understanding how the world works. It gives them a sense of wonder
and excitement about the world they live in!
The universe is enormous and it is full of
stars and galaxies!
Can you think of other words for
very, very big?
Gigantic
Mammoth
Immense
Tremendous
Massive
There are billions of galaxies in the
universe — maybe even more!
Each galaxy can have billions or even
trillions of stars.
That is a number that is impossible to
imagine!
A scientist who studies the universe is
called an astronomer.
Each galaxy is made up of lots and lots
of things!
Stars – Bright, twinkling dots in the
sky, like our Sun.
1.
Planets – Big round things like Earth
that go around stars.
2.
3. Moons – Little round things that go
around planets.
4. Dust and Gas – Tiny, tiny bits of stuff
floating around, kind of like space
"clouds."
All of these things live
together in a galaxy,
kind of like how we
live in a big
neighborhood with
houses, trees, and
cars!
It takes the earth 365 days to
travel around the sun.
Which is why 1 year is 365 days.
It takes the moon 28 days to
travel around the earth.
Quarter moon
These are the phases of the
moon as it travels around earth.
New moon
Full
moon
Crescent moonGibbous moon
Can you see the sun?
How many planets can you
count?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
What is inside the
white rectangles?
This is the asteroid belt. It is filled
with lots and lots of space rocks.
The asteroid belt separates the planets
that are closer to the sun from the planets
that are further away from the sun.
How many planets can you count on either
side of the asteroid belt?
1
2
3
4
1 2 3 4
The inner ring planets are closer to
the sun.
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
The red planet
Which is the hottest planet?
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Yes!
Even though Mercury is
closer to the Sun, the
gasses on Venus trap the
heat and make it the
hottest planet.
Which the smallest
planet?
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Yes!
Which is the biggest planet in inner
ring?
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Yes!
The planets in the inner
ring are much smaller
than the planets in the
outer ring.
The outer ring planets are further
away from the sun.
Jupitor
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Which is the biggest planet?
Jupitor
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Yes!
Jupitor is the
biggest of all the
planets.
Astronaut
Space rocket
Meteor
Once an asteroid enters
the Earth’s
atomosphere, it is called
a meteor. It is called a
meteorite after it hits
the ground.
We can learn about the universe
using telescopes.
Scientists who study the universe
are called astronomers.
In a small town in South Africa, called
Sutherland, there is a gigantic
telescope called the Southern African
Large Telescope.
Can you spot Sutherland on the map?
Look for